Career and Education Opportunities for Ministers in Chattanooga, Tennessee

Ministers can find many career and educational opportunities in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area. There are currently 9,620 jobs for ministers in Tennessee and this is projected to grow by 18% to 11,310 jobs by 2016. This is better than the national trend for ministers, which sees this job pool growing by about 12.7% over the next eight years. Ministers generally conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination.

Ministers earn about $21 per hour or $45,450 yearly on average in Tennessee and about $20 per hour or $41,730 per year on average nationally. Incomes for ministers are not quite as good as in the overall category of Religious Services in Tennessee, and better than the overall Religious Services category nationally. Jobs in this field include: parish priest, priest, and visitation minister.

There are five schools within twenty-five miles of Chattanooga where you can study to be a minister, among twenty schools of higher education total in the Chattanooga area. Ministers usually hold a Bachelor's degree, so you can expect to spend about four years studying to be a minister if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Minister

Minister video from the State of New Jersey Dept. of Labor and Workforce Development

In general, ministers conduct religious worship and perform other spiritual functions associated with beliefs and practices of religious faith or denomination. They also provide spiritual and moral guidance and assistance to members.

Ministers pray and promote spirituality. They also read from sacred texts such as the Bible or Koran. Equally important, ministers have to ready and deliver sermons and other talks. They are often called upon to administer religious rites or ordinances. They are expected to share data related to religious issues by writing articles or teaching. Finally, ministers perform administrative duties such as overseeing building management, ordering supplies, contracting for services and repairs, and supervising the work of staff members and volunteers.

Every day, ministers are expected to be able to speak clearly. They need to articulate ideas and problems.

It is important for ministers to organize and lead regular religious services. They are often called upon to conduct special ceremonies such as weddings and confirmations. Somewhat less frequently, ministers are also expected to share data related to religious issues by writing articles or teaching.

They also have to be able to participate in fundraising efforts to support congregation efforts and facilities and organize and engage in interfaith and recreational efforts sponsored by or pertaining to their religion. And finally, they sometimes have to administer religious rites or ordinances.

Like many other jobs, ministers must have exceptional integrity and have a strong concern for others.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Chattanooga include:

Religious Activities Director. Direct and coordinate activities of a denominational group to meet religious needs of students. Plan, direct, or coordinate church school programs designed to promote religious education among church membership. May provide counseling and guidance relative to marital, health, and religious problems.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Minister Training

Tennessee Temple University - Chattanooga, TN

Tennessee Temple University, 1815 Union Ave, Chattanooga, TN 37404. Tennessee Temple University is a small university located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 706 students and an admission rate of 24%. Tennessee Temple University has 6 areas of study related to Minister. They are:

Theology/Theological Studies, master's degree.

Divinity/Ministry, master's degree which graduated 4 students in 2008.

Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies, two to four year which graduated 4 students in 2008.

Theology and Religious Vocations, Other Specialties, bachelor's degree and doctor's degree which graduated three and zero students respectively in 2008.

Temple Baptist Seminary - Chattanooga, TN

Temple Baptist Seminary, 1906 Union Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37404. Temple Baptist Seminary is a small school located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 160 students. Temple Baptist Seminary has 5 areas of study related to Minister. They are:

Theology/Theological Studies, master's degree which graduated 9 students in 2008.

Divinity/Ministry, master's degree which graduated 4 students in 2008.

Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies, two to four year which graduated 4 students in 2008.

Theological and Ministerial Studies, Other Specialties, master's degree which graduated 9 students in 2008.

Theology and Religious Vocations, Other Specialties, doctor's degree.

Church of God Theological Seminary - Cleveland, TN

Church of God Theological Seminary, 900 Walker St NE, Cleveland, TN 37320-3330. Church of God Theological Seminary is a small school located in Cleveland, Tennessee. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs and has 210 students. Church of God Theological Seminary has a master's degree program in Theology/Theological Studies which graduated fifty students in 2008.

Lee University - Cleveland, TN

Lee University, 1120 N Ocoee St, Cleveland, TN 37311. Lee University is a small university located in Cleveland, Tennessee. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 4,147 students and an admission rate of 64%. Lee University has 6 areas of study related to Minister. They are:

Theology/Theological Studies, bachelor's degree and master's degree which graduated zero and three students respectively in 2008.

Pre-Theology/Pre-Ministerial Studies, bachelor's degree.

Pastoral Studies/Counseling, bachelor's degree which graduated 37 students in 2008.

Youth Ministry, bachelor's degree and master's degree which graduated zero and nine students respectively in 2008.

Southern Adventist University, 4881 Taylor Cir, Collegedale, TN 37315-0370. Southern Adventist University is a small university located in Collegedale, Tennessee. It is a private not-for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 2,731 students and an admission rate of 70%. Southern Adventist University has 2 areas of study related to Minister. They are:

Theology/Theological Studies, bachelor's degree which graduated 13 students in 2008.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Chattanooga, Tennessee photo by Avala

Chattanooga is situated in Hamilton County, Tennessee. It has a population of over 170,880, which has grown by 9.9% in the past ten years. The cost of living index in Chattanooga, 85, is well below the national average. New single-family homes in Chattanooga are priced at $141,100 on average, which is below the state average. In 2008, two hundred sixty-two new homes were built in Chattanooga, down from four hundred forty-one the previous year.

The top three industries for women in Chattanooga are health care, educational services, and finance and insurance. For men, it is construction, accommodation and food services, and health care. The average commute to work is about 20 minutes. More than 21.5% of Chattanooga residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 7.5%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Chattanooga is 9.5%, which is less than Tennessee's average of 10.2%.

The percentage of Chattanooga residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 58.2%, is more than both the national and state average. Stuart Heights Baptist Church, Kings Point Church and Stanley United Methodist Church are some of the churches located in Chattanooga. The largest religious groups are the Southern Baptist Convention, the United Methodist Church and the Non-Charismatic Churches Independent.

Chattanooga is home to the Creeks Bend Golf Club and the Concord Golf Course as well as Warner Park and Ross Landing City Park. Shopping malls in the area include Northgate Mall, Northgate Crossing Shopping Center and Lee Plaza East Shopping Center. Visitors to Chattanooga can choose from Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites, Crystal Air Sport Motel and Hampton Inn Chattanooga I-75 North for temporary stays in the area.